Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

Author Bio:

Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

My Review:Common themes in Amish fiction are family and faith. The interesting thing about "The Sound of Sleigh Bells" is that the two main characters are older single Amish women who run a store together. The older of the women, Aunt Lizzy wants to see her neice Beth to find love after being in mouring for an extended period of time. Aunt Lizzy goes about matching Beth to an Amish artisan whose work Beth admires. Though Aunt Lizzy's intentions were good, she goes about her matchmaking in a deceitful manner. I found the characters likeable and felt I understood their feelings. I really likes the young Amish artisan, Jonah.

I expected "The Sound of Sleigh Bells" to be a Christmasy sort of story, which it really isn't . None the less it was an enjoyable book and will be enjoyed by fans of Amish Fiction. This is the second book I have reviewed by Cindy Woodsmall and I find that she strings a bit of mystery into her stories that keep me intriqued. I completed this book in about a day and stayed up a bit too late to finish it!! My hubby woke up in the middle of the night and told me to turn the pages quieter...poor guy!

My Rating: 4/5 - Great - I would reccomend to my friends. Easy read to be enjoyed by fans of Amish fiction.

GIVEAWAY: I have two copies of "The Sound of Sleigh Bells" to give away. To enter the giveaway for this book, please leave a comment with a Christmas book recommendation for me and a valid email address to be entered into the drawing. I will randomly select and contact via email two winners on October 24th! You must live in the continental US to enter.

Looking for Free Books????Book Giveaways will become a regular feature on my book blog. The publishers are generous and I have to regularly make room on my book shelves! I hope to post a book giveaway at least twice a month.

If you would like to purchase "The Sound of Sleigh Bells" by Cindy Woodsmall, stop by the Random House Website to review their purchase options.

Happy Reading!!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.